Hearty mid-week meals
Try this South Indian-inspired meal from Sai Yoganathan’s A Kitchen Well-Travelled.
Idesigned this South Indian-inspired meal for a hearty midweek dinner. The recipe requires the meat to be marinated for a few hours, so start the preparations well ahead of time. Onion raita adds a pleasant tangy sweetness to this dish.
Grilled masala chicken with uppuma and onion raita
Serves 2–4
Preparation time 30 minutes, plus 45 minutes to marinate the chicken
■ 500g chicken maryland (drum and thigh)
■ 1 tablespoon mango chutney
■ 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
■ 1 tablespoon harissa powder
■ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
■ 1 teaspoon chilli powder
■ 2 cloves of garlic, minced and salted to taste
■ 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
■ 1⁄4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
■ 1⁄2 cup natural yoghurt
■ 1 teaspoon butter
Place the chicken in a bowl and pierce the skin with a fork. Add the chutney, masala, harissa, lemon juice, chilli powder, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves and yoghurt. Massage well with your hands. Cover the chicken with cling wrap and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper, lay out the chicken and dot with the butter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked. Cover with foil and let rest for 5–8 minutes.
To make the uppuma
Uppuma makes a delicious rich savoury accompaniment to many meat dishes. I particularly like serving it with this spicy masala chicken.
Serves 2-4 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes
■ 1⁄2 cup coarse semolina
■ 1 tablespoon oil
■ 1⁄2 teaspoon mustard seeds
■ 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds
■ 1 teaspoon chana dal
■ 1⁄4 teaspoon ginger
■ 1⁄2 cup onion, diced
■ 1 red chilli
■ 1 spring of curry leaves
■ 1/4 cup tomato, diced
■ Salt to taste
■ 3⁄4 cup water
Place the semolina in a shallow pan and dry roast for 4-5 minutes, or until it just begins to turn golden. Set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the mustard and cumin seeds. As they begin to sputter, add the chana dal and fry for one minute.
Add the ginger, onions, chilli, and curry leaves, and saute until the onion softens and caramelises around the edges. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Stir in the roasted semolina and mix well to coat with the tomato mixture. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, pour in the water and bring to a boil. Gradually incorporate the semolina mixture and stir continuously until the water is absorbed and the mixture is fluffy. It is important not to mix the semolina too quickly as this will result in a lumpy uppuma.
To make the onion raita
■ 3⁄4 cup natural yoghurt ■
1⁄2 cup red onions, sliced
■ 1 green chilli, sliced
■ Salt to taste
■ 1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Serve on the side of the grilled masala chicken and uppuma.